The Rivian R1T shows that even a large American pick-up can be quite environmentally friendly, thanks to the electric powertrain. We are going out with the first product of the much-discussed start-up.
Rivan says it is in a quiet phase, a phase in which the manufacturer does not communicate. A test drive with the first model of the American start-up, the pickup R1T? That is not an option for foreign journalists. Given the reports of multimillion-dollar losses and delays in the delivery of the new model, it seems that Rivan has more important things to do than lend the first production model to European journalists.
That doesn’t stop us from traveling to Rivian’s factory in the small town of Normal, two hours south of Chicago. In the former Mitsubishi factory, the company builds vans for Amazon (see box) and also the R1T. Access to the factory is prohibited. But fate is in our favor, because a few miles away we see an R1T driving. We speak to the driver and manage to persuade him: we can get acquainted with his car. The pick-up, in the color ‘premier green’, rolled off the production line just a few weeks ago. The man behind the wheel works at Rivian. He says that he used to work in Germany, at Bosch. And now we are driving on a country road north of Normal. The Rivian employee presses the accelerator deeply, after which we are pressed into the comfortable seats. They are covered with vegan leather, as it is so beautifully called these days. “So, how do you think the car feels?” asks the owner. Well, honestly a bit like the Ford F-150 Lightning, and yet different. This may be because each wheel has its own electric motor. And because torque vectoring, a system that regulates optimal torque distribution, steers the R1T, weighing more than 3 tons when loaded, through the bends as if on rails. You would almost forget that you are really in a pick-up, or truck as the Americans call it. We see high-quality seats and a fairly basic-looking, but fully digital dashboard. In front of us is a relatively short nose. And above our heads a panoramic roof.
Lifestyle product
But the most striking aspect is the sports car-like acceleration. Is this still a commercial vehicle, as the pickup was once intended? Well, where the all-electric F-150 is already more of a lifestyle product, the R1T is it. However, the question is whether that is a bad thing. In any case, it all looks nice, like the raw eco-wood on the dashboard. The driver has meanwhile switched on the ‘all purpose’ mode, which is in fact the standard setting. That is already impressive, not to mention the ‘Sport’ mode.
The Porsche-worthy acceleration does cost energy, of course, but because the 135 kWh battery (‘Large Pack’) is located in the bottom plate, you still have enough leeway. You can also opt for a conservation mode that stabilizes the range by turning off two of the four engines. Then the R1T becomes a front-wheel drive.
We can’t say anything meaningful about the terrain qualities yet, because the chic pick-up will only get asphalt under its all-terrain tires for the time being. We can’t test the draw weight of 5 tons either, but we believe it immediately. For partially autonomous driving and a 360 degree view, the R1T is equipped with eleven cameras and five radar sensors.
Good basic
Rivian’s electric pick-up will also be available next year with a battery with 105 kWh, so it will be smaller, but it will not be cheaper than $ 67,500 (net). The ‘Max Pack’, which increases the range to 640 km, has an additional cost of $10,000. Charging is possible initially with a maximum of 190 kW, faster charging will be possible at a later stage. The front and rear of the pick-up then light up. As of 2023, the ‘Rivian Adventure Network’ will include 3,500 fast-charging points across America. The next model from the young manufacturer can also be charged there, the R1S. That will be a large SUV based on the platform that also serves as the basis for the Rivian R1T.
Initially, Rivian was compared to Tesla, but the manufacturer still has a long way to go for that status. However, Rivian has a good basis: its own factory, batteries developed in-house and a first model that manages to convince. In addition, with Amazon, Rivian has a global operating giant as an investor and customer. We have a feeling we’ll be hearing the name Rivian a lot more.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl